Message-ID: <220@watcgl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Oct-84 12:12:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: watcgl.220
Posted: Wed Oct 24 12:12:36 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 25-Oct-84 02:49:14 EDT
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 53

Hi,
I've been following the net for awhile and finally decided to
toss in a monkey wrench, in hopes of locating like-minded
iconoclasts out there somewhere.  Here goes:

1: Does everyone else *worship* the Big Two or something? Well,
take *this*: I don't buy ANY DC except the NEW GODS reprints and
CAMELOT 3000 (both soon-to-be-defunct), and I don't buy ANY
Marvels except the Ditko reprints in MARVEL TALES. I was buying
X-MEN and NM but have finally had enough --- I won't let Claremont
do that to me anymore. Doesn't anyone else have the guts to 
abandon this trash were being buried with?
   I buy hole-in-the-wall stuff, THAT'S what's happening! LOVE
   AND ROCKETS (absolute best stuff on the market), MR X (aren't
   there any other Jaime Hernandez fans in netland?), the A-V
   stuff, THE ROCKETEER, some of First (yay NEXUS!!!), MAGE,
   there are so many SUPERIOR alternatives....

   2: I picked up SWAMP THING ANNUAL #2 on the net's say-so.
   Alan Moore is competent and interesting, but not God. His type
   of writing becomes its own triteness after a while, certain
   tricks used to elicit a knee-jerk sense of "good writing".
   The same thing happened to Miller and Claremont (I remember
   when Claremont could WRITE! I must be getting old...)
   STA #2 was not particularly moving or dazzling. I prefer
   the Hernandez brothers, or Mike Baron, or Scott McCloud (ZOT!).
   Another good example of Alan-Moore-as-formula can be seen in
   that new Canadian indie NORTHGUARD: good writing, a good comic,
   but you can see certain conventions ossifying in it.

   3: I HATE MARVEL for its obvious plot to monopolize the comics
   industry! By flooding the market and undercutting prices they
   can bury DC and then have the power to destroy First, Eclipse,
   etc. like gnats! What a GODDAMN MEAN, PETTY, ROTTEN thing to
   do!! Doesn't anyone else *mind*?! Do you all WANT to see
   nothing but SECRET WARS and Claremontian strong-but-oh-so-
   sensitive women threatening to turn into a Phoenix every
   other month? Miniseries about every new movie or Japanese toy,
   regardless of quality or aptness? U.S. 1, DAZZLER, STARRIORS,
   ROM... if Marvel wins, that's all you'll get, and you'll pay
   through the nose for it.

   4: And I'm sick of Claremont's %*&#ing *sorcery*!! Illyana's
   soul-armor, Dani's demon bear, people always turning into
   something else... *I DON'T CARE!!!!!* (There, now I feel better.)


   P.S.: Please don't blame this on the addressee, I'm using a
   friend's account. Hope I ruffled SOMEONE'S feathers....

					  The Gray Mouser

Message-ID: <2447@ihuxf.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Oct-84 16:23:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxf.2447
Posted: Fri Oct 26 16:23:34 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Oct-84 04:01:35 EDT
References: <220@watcgl.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 3

YYES
Yes, someone does mind, First is sueing Marvel for Antitrust violations .
They will probably win.

Message-ID: <270@watcgl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Oct-84 13:01:00 EST
Article-I.D.: watcgl.270
Posted: Tue Oct 30 13:01:00 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Oct-84 23:45:18 EST
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 5

"First is sueing Marvel for Antitrust violations"?!!
Whoever sent this, BLESS YOU!! You've made my year!!

			       The Gray Mouser

Message-ID: <220@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Oct-84 17:56:14 EST
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.220
Posted: Mon Oct 29 17:56:14 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Nov-84 02:44:39 EST
References: <220@watcgl.UUCP>
Organization: CCI, Federal Sales Office
Lines: 13

Horray for the Mouser!  Yes, Virgina, there are people out there in netland
that believe that the things being written by the ALTERNATE comics are WORTH
reading, instead of reading the big two and bitching.  The entire FIRST line
is outstanding!  The COMICO line is worth looking in to.  The WORST of the
alternate comics is better then 80% of the stuff being put out by the big two.
If we keep buying mediocrity, we only encourage mediocrity.  Remember that
SECRET WARS is one of the most successful MARVEL comics EVER!  This might
encourage Jim to (lord, no!) keep writing.

		The comic industry seems to worship Salieri,
			patron saint of medocrity.

			OZ

Message-ID: <269@sdchema.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Nov-84 10:26:57 EST
Article-I.D.: sdchema.269
Posted: Thu Nov  1 10:26:57 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Nov-84 05:18:39 EST
References: <220@watcgl.UUCP> <220@rlgvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: gino@sdchema.UUCP (Eugene G. Youngerman)
Organization: U.C. San Diego Chemistry Dept
Lines: 45
Summary: 

In article <220@rlgvax.UUCP> oz@rlgvax.UUCP (THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ) writes:
[color=blue]> Horray for the Mouser!  Yes, Virgina, there are people out there in netland[/color]
[color=blue]> that believe that the things being written by the ALTERNATE comics are WORTH[/color]
[color=blue]> reading, instead of reading the big two and bitching.  The entire FIRST line[/color]
[color=blue]> is outstanding!  The COMICO line is worth looking in to.  The WORST of the[/color]
[color=blue]> alternate comics is better then 80% of the stuff being put out by the big two.[/color]
[color=blue]> If we keep buying mediocrity, we only encourage mediocrity.  Remember that[/color]
[color=blue]> SECRET WARS is one of the most successful MARVEL comics EVER!  This might[/color]
[color=blue]> encourage Jim to (lord, no!) keep writing.[/color]
[color=blue]> [/color]
[color=blue]> 		The comic industry seems to worship Salieri,[/color]
[color=blue]> 			patron saint of medocrity.[/color]
[color=blue]> [/color]
[color=blue]> 			OZ[/color]

Yes, the alternatives are putting out some of the finest comics
available.  BUT...  there is something to be said for adhering to 
a regular schedule.  And to revere the independents as opposed to
the big two is somewhat akin to worshipping J.R. (Ewing) for 
standing up and championing the cause of the little guy over
the major oil companies.  I am not saying that the independent
comics are evil. ( I just wanted to clear that up.)

     NOT ALL the stuff by the alternatives is better than 80%
of the big two.  Anybody remember Wild Animals.  I agree that
the Comico stuff is excellent.  But, a somewhat more regular
schedule would be nice.  Scorpio Rose has all the makings of 
an excellent comic.  Good Art, Good Script, Good Artist, Good
Scripter, Good Paper.  etc.   But how do you judge a three
part mini-series when the time gap between #2 and #3 is
more than 8 months.
     While I'm complaining.  I think that the use of good
paper in the Eclipse and Pacific Comics line may have been
their undoing.  I just can't help feeling that Twisted Tales
or Alien Worlds might have done a little better if they had been 
$.50 or $.75 cheaper, and done on regular stock, or the 
paper that First uses.

                         I am 
			 GINO
p.s. I don't mean to be attacking anyone, but some of the
best comics are coming out of Marvel and DC.  And nobody is
saying don't read the independents.  But don't not read
Teen Titans, or Thor, or Dreadstar, or Camelot 3000 (where is
#12) just because they are published by Marvel or DC.

Message-ID: <764@milo.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 4-Nov-84 20:50:35 EST
Article-I.D.: milo.764
Posted: Sun Nov  4 20:50:35 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 7-Nov-84 00:47:20 EST
References: <220@watcgl.UUCP> <220@rlgvax.UUCP> <269@sdchema.UUCP>
Organization: JHU/Applied Physics Lab, Laurel, MD
Lines: 9


	When last at my local comic shop, I asked about #12 of
Camelot and they said the latest rumor is around Christmas. I sure
hope it is worth the wait. Seems like a lot of loose ends to tie up
in one issue.

-- 
					eric
					...!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!milo!eric